Playing pieces for ball games



Oct. 8, 1963 s. BIBANOFF PLAYINGPIECES FOR BALL GAMES Filed 001'.- 25. 1961 United States Patent 3,106,399 PLAYING PIECES FOR BALL GAME George Blbanofi, Canadian Research and Development Foundation, 1434 Queen St. W., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 146,760 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to sporting equipment and more particularly to playing pieces for ball games.

A primary object of the invention is not to improve over existing ball games but to provide'playing pieces for a novel type of ball game, a suggested set of rules for which will be hereinafter included.

Another object of this invention is to provide playing pieces which are easily portable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide 1 playing pieces, the base plate for which may be quickly and easily located in any convenient patch of ground deemed suitable as a playing area.

Still another object of the invention is to provide play ing pieces for a ball game requiring more skill and dexterity than strength to play therewith.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a base plate provided with the present invention, showing a ball located thereon.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ball utilized in cooperation with the base plate illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows aplurality of sticks utilized to strike the ball illustrated in FIG. 2. I

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the playing pieces shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, together with one suggested layout of a playing area for a game utilizing the aforementioned pieces.

Referring to FIG. *1, a base plate 11 of substantially elongated, parallelepiped configuration, having a long, narrow, upper surface 12 is adapted to support a ball 13 thereon. The forward end 14 of base plate or member 11 extends upwardly, causing the forward end of upper surface 12 to incline upwardly to form a ball deflecting surface 15.

Base plate 11 is securely located in position by anchoring means comprising a plurality of U-shaped stakes 16, each having a horizontal bar 17 extending transversely through plate 11, each end of bar 17 terminating in a substantially right angled spike 18. Spikes 18 are adapted to extend substantially beyond the lower surface 19 of plate 11 and to be driven into the ground to provide the required anchoring means for plate 11. It is also. possible to swing spikes 18 through an arc of substantially 90 when not required for use in order to facilitate transportation of base plate 11, this portion being shown in phantom in FIG. 1.

Ball 13 as further illustrated in FIG. 2is substantially spherical, having a segment thereof removed to form a fiat, plane surface 20, thus enabling it to be placed and remain in the selected position upon upper surface 12 of base plate 11.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of sticks 21 of substantially solid, cylindrical configuration utilized in conjunction with base plate 11 and ball 13 for the playing of a game therewith.

By way of illustration but not of limitation, FIG. 4 exemplifies how the foregoing equipment may be used to play a game, and arbitrary rules of play are given to illustrate in a practical manner a method of playing therewith.

3,1063% Patented Oct. 8, 1963 ice Base plate 11 is firmly anchored to the ground by stakes 16 and ball 13 placed on upper surface 12 thereof, the flat portion 20 of ball 13 permitting it to be located adjacent the lower end of deflecting surface 15. A player may then hurl a stick 21 from a distant rearward area and attempt to strike ball 13 Upon successfully making contact with ball 13, both stick 21 and ball 13 will be caused to move up deflecting surface 15 and thus fly arcuately over the forward playing area. Ball 13, due to its having absorbed a large amount of the kinetic energy of stick 21 and also due to its general configuration, will fly farther and faster than stick 21, the latter dropping within an area 22 defined by broken lines in FIG. 4. The players 23 of the opposing side are stationed outside area 22 and their main objective is to catch ball 13 and thereby catch out the player at hat. The objective of the player at bat is to run forward into area 22 and retrieve stick 21 before he can be struck by ball 13, thrown by any player 23 and thereby score a point.

A base line 24- 'of area 22 defines the batter safety zone. Each batter may have three sticks 21 with which to attempt to hit ball 13 and should he be unsuccessful on the first or first and second attempts he may retrieve all the sticks 21 lying in area 22 and thereby score additional points. He may also retrieve any sticks 21 left in area 22 by preceding batters in order to score additional points. The conventional rule of three players, out to retire the side may also be applied in order to speed up the game.

it may be seen, therefore, that a large amount of skill and dexterity is required to play a game with the equipment herein described, and each player at bat has the opportunity to recoup losses sustained by previous batters. Furthermore, the equipment is simple and easily portable and only a minimum amount of p ortective clothing is required.

The general design of the idividual parts of the invention as explained above may be varied according to requirements in regards to manufacture and production thereof, while still remaining within the spirit and principle of the invention, without prejudicing the novelty thereof.

The embodiments of this invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

A plurality of playing pieces for ball games including a base member; a ball adapted to rest one said base member; and a plurality of sticks to be utilized in dislodging said ball from said base member; said base member being of substantially parallelepiped configuration having a raised forward end and an upper surface in a substantially horizontal plane for the majority of its length; said upper surface sloping upwardly and forward- 7 ly at the forward end thereof to form a deflecting surface; and means for the anchoring of said base member to the ground; said ball being substantially spherical and flattened over a minor segment thereof. 

